Celebration of Life for Max Berg

I haven't posted here in a long time but felt this to be worthy as some of you have known my Grandfather, Max Berg. He passed away peacefully on Sept 4th at home surrounded by family.

My family will be hosting a Celebration of Life gathering in the park that bears his name, Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente in the city of San Clemente, CA. All are invited so please pass this along to anyone else that may have known him and will not see this notice here.

Practically anyone who hunted the Imperial Valley, more specifically, the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildife Area, probably knew or knew of Max Berg. He established and ran the Sportsman's Catering Service at Wister for 42 years serving the hunters who came to his concession trailer for food, hunting supplies, or just to see his smile. This he did while serving the City of San Clemente as City Clerk for many years as well as in his "retirement". Some of you may not have known him from Wister but quite possibly from Shaver Lake where he worked at the Edison Campground during the late spring and summer months prior to packing up and heading back down the mountain and to the desert for waterfowl season.

I REALLY appreciate your posting that first picture of Max, you and your son Max (Max's Great Grandson)...and Me from our hunt together at Wister. Jan 2005.

EVERYONE should open the article you posted and click on the WW II picture in the story. Check out BOTH links he posted especially the pdf file.

You will find that Max was in WW II and helped to entertain troops in places that even celebrities could not get too. I spoke to him about that picture - which was on the shelf in his trailer at Wister. He spoke about how many of his buddies would play music for the shows and then get called to grab their gun and head out. He recalled so many of his buddies did not make it back from missions - and the rest returning to keep up the shows as best they could to help the troops.

My time shared with him at Shaver as well as my time as a kid walking up to the trailer at wister - getting hot chocolate at 3am and then he would offer a free piece of candy.

What a true gentle person and an amazing man with his professional accomplishments too.

And, to know that he remembered my dad and placed a picture of my dad above his cash register at the trailer at Wister....and me seeing that picture there when we hunted in 2005. Really touched my heart and Max and I shared a long talk that Friday night as he waited for customers to arrive for the weekend hurts.

God Bless him. His life was truly lived, and his service to the country and the waterfowl community is inspiring, and will not be forgotten. RIP Max

Last edited: Sep 28, 2015

Powered by the SonTeam Jr. OFH 3-8-2011Proud CWA Life Member
CWA Public Lands Hunter Committee Member
Proud Delta Waterfowl Member
Proud DU Member
G 2

Funny, how you seem to really 'talk' more about meaningful things while sitting in a duck blind with the world in front of you. Time Flies FASTER than Teal

Know, and Choose, Good

"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

My sympathies to you and your family. My grandfather was my best buddy and the person who got me into duck hunting. Hopefully all those old duck hunters are sitting in heaven, having a cocktail together!